‘They didn’t discuss tea, biscuits’: BJP leader on Raut-Fadnavis meeting

Adding to speculation swirling around a meeting between political rivals, Shiv Sena’s Sanjay Raut and BJP’s Devendra Fadnavis, Maharashtra BJP chief Chandrakant Patil hinted that there might be more to it than meets the eye.

“If top leaders of two different political parties meet, political discussions do take place. If they sat together for 2-2.5 hrs, they didn’t discuss tea-biscuits. But it was inconclusive,” Patil told news agency ANI.

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The meeting between the leaders of divorced allies in a Mumbai hotel on September 26 triggered speculation in Maharashtra’s political circles. The two sides, dismissing all rumours, said the meeting was not political and Raut had met the former Maharashtra chief minister for an interview for Saamana.

The two allies broke off after the 2019 assembly elections following a disagreement over power sharing. The Shiv Sena finally partnered with the Congress and Sharad Pawar’s NCP to form the government in the state.

Soon after the meeting, Union Minister Ramdas Athawale also suggested that Shiv Sena should reunite with the BJP to form a government in Maharashtra. “The Shiv Sena should be given one or two portfolios in Delhi (central government), too.

The Shiv Sena should not stick in the NCP and Congress labyrinth and come with us,” he added. He also suggested that the NCP should join the NDA.